The Indiana Pacers currently hold the 13th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and could possibly move down. Ziaire Williams could be a potentially high-upside pick for the Pacers.
The Indiana Pacers currently hold the 13th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. There has been speculation that Kevin Pritchard and the Front Office have been looking for a trade that would move them down in the draft order and land them a veteran player that could contribute immediately. If the Pacers do decide to move down Zaire Williams could be a high upside selection
Ziaire Williams is a 6-8 forward out of Stanford. In his lone season at Stanford, Williams averaged 10.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists while posting an effective field goal percentage of 43.1 percent. These aren’t eye-popping numbers by any means but it is noteworthy that Williams’ time at Stanford was extremely difficult.
The Stanford basketball team had to spend much of their season on the road due to COVID-19 guidelines implemented by Santa Clara county. Williams also took time away from the team during the season due to the passing of a family member.
He eventually came back and played off the bench. Williams also dealt with injuries his freshman season. Any person would have difficulty navigating a season like this let alone an 18-year-old college freshman.
Despite Ziaire Williams’ low stats, inconsistency, and tumultuous season there are a lot of aspects of his game to like. Williams has the potential to become a go-to scorer on offense and a very good player on defense. At this stage of his development, he is still very raw and will take some time to grow.
Williams shot a low three-point percentage in college just barely north of 29 percent. His shot mechanics, however, are very fluid. He did shoot nearly 80 percent from the free-throw line last season which is a good indicator moving forward.
Williams possesses really good length and athleticism for his size. He stands at 6-8 and has a 6-10 wingspan which gives him the physical tools to turn into a great scorer. Williams also has a good combination of verticality and speed at his size.
The big things that Ziaire Williams will have to improve are his weight, playmaking ability, and consistency. Williams is only 188 pounds and will have to put on more muscle to help guard forwards at the next level. He is a solid playmaker averaging 2.2 assists a game last season but he also averaged 2.9 turnovers and will need to cut down on them at the next level.
All in all, Ziaire Williams is an interesting prospect that is still raw and will take time to develop. He does have the chance to become quite the two-way player. A good comparison for Williams is Cam Reddish who just showed us what a scoring wing can do for you in the playoffs. The Pacers should take a long look at the Stanford forward.